What is the Best Age to Start Preschool?Why Starting Preschool Early Benefited Our Family.3/20/2024 Nikki Newmana parent in our Pre-K class. Starting out on your preschool journey can be an overwhelming time. With so many wonderful preschool options in the Cleveland Heights area, many families wonder: When is the best age to start this journey? When is too early to get my little baby out there in the world on their own?! For us, starting our daughter in the Early Learners class at Heights CoOp was the perfect first step into the preschool world. It’s one day per week for 2.5 hours, which felt like it would be manageable for her. For our family, having a school that our daughter could grow with was important. She began at 2.5 years old in the Early Learners class attending once a week, then increased to two days a week, then three, and now attends the Pre-K Class for five days. It’s been a wonderful way to build up her stamina in the classroom and prepare her for the upcoming year of Kindergarten, where the days will be one hour longer than they are now. I feel confident that she’ll be able to handle that full day thanks to the way she moved through the different classes at the preschool. Starting a toddler in preschool helps to gently introduce them to some of the life skills needed to succeed in school for years to come. The process of getting ready, getting out the door on time, wearing a backpack, walking into the school, putting stuff in the cubby, and walking into the classroom are all just as important as the social and learning aspects. Doing these tasks once per week was fun, and then as we transitioned to the older classrooms those weren’t totally new skills she had to learn while also adjusting to the new classroom setting. Of course, getting that little introduction to the social, emotional, and learning aspects is wonderful as well. These undoubtedly get built on year after year, and become easier for the kiddos when they get introduced earlier. This year, starting Pre-K was an overall easy adjustment for her from a drop-off and pick-up perspective. We know they’re not too keen on surprises and the unknown at this age, so returning to a very familiar place on the first day of Pre-K was so helpful. When all is said and done, she’ll have been here for three years, and this foundation has prepared her to move on to elementary school. And of course, let’s not forget about us, the parents. If you’re curious about a cooperative school setting, joining the school in one of the young classes (Early Learners or Early 3’s) is a great way to get introduced. There are opportunities to join the Board, sign up for a volunteer role on one of our committees, be a Classroom Advocate, and other school-wide or classroom activities. If you’re like me, and this is your first kiddo going to school, joining the school earlier made for a nice introduction for me too. Also, if you’re like me, and you have a second kiddo going to school, and you feel that 2.5 can’t come soon enough, sign those babies up! If you’re located on the east side of Cleveland, and you’re wondering if you should be signing your 2.5 or 3 year old up for preschool in the Fall, come take a tour of Heights Cooperative Preschool in Cleveland Heights. The Early Learners and Young 3’s classes are wonderful ways for your toddler to get used to the idea of school and being away from home for short periods of time
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |